Islandia bagel shop customers prepay meals for others

An Islandia bagel store is encouraging customers to pay it forward with a system for donating meals to others.

On the New York Bagel Company's donation wall, customers can buy meals for others ahead of time.

"Customers can come in and purchase a brown bag," says Sara Schimkus, one of the owners. "They can buy a coffee and a buttered bagel, or whatever they want, for somebody, whether it be someone in the military, a police officer, whoever they want."

The bags are then hung on the wall, and when someone comes in matching the donor's criteria, they can get what's written on the bag for free. One bag offered a half dozen bagels to a single father, others to someone in need.

Keith Anderson, who says he is disabled and lives in a community home in Central Islip, benefited from some of the generosity Thursday. He says he comes every day.

"I wish I could pay it forward too," he says, "but I can't.

Mike Lavecchia, of Smithtown, says he got his free meal by accident.

"I saw one for a veteran," he explains. "Being a veteran, I said well I guess I will buy this for a veteran, not realizing that I was the veteran that was receiving this benefit."

So he paid it forward by buying meals for two other veterans, and he says he hopes other people get involved as well.

Schimkus says the program has been going on for about six months.

"My mom actually came up with the idea," she says. "And we wanted to do something good for the community. But what's been really humbling is seeing all of the customers who are willing to help pay it forward."

The report from Attorney General Barbara Underwood found that more than one-fourth of the seafood her office sampled in a statewide supermarket survey was mislabeled, typically as a more expensive or more sustainably fished species.

The report from Attorney General Barbara Underwood found that more than one-fourth of the seafood her office sampled in a statewide supermarket survey was mislabeled, typically as a more expensive or more sustainably fished species.

Get ready for a record-breaking holiday season at least when it comes to travel! Starbucks says all store cleaning will now be done at the end of the day. Carnival Cruise Line has announced its first ship that will feature a top-deck roller coaster.

Get ready for a record-breaking holiday season at least when it comes to travel! Starbucks says all store cleaning will now be done at the end of the day. Carnival Cruise Line has announced its first ship that will feature a top-deck roller coaster.

Get ready for a record-breaking holiday season at least when it comes to travel! Starbucks says all store cleaning will now be done at the end of the day. Carnival Cruise Line has announced its first ship that will feature a top-deck roller coaster.